MIA
by Lexie Jayne
Summary: Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA
1. Chapter One

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters:** Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** First up, I'm totally loving this new QuickEdit feature. I'll have to go and edit all my fics with it. Anyway, this version of M.I.A is the rewritten version. I was very young, and not a great writer when I first wrote this, so I've rewritten it, lengthened it and just fixed it up. I hope you like this new version. The original version of M.I.A will be available at my new website, Written-Word dot org, and you can find the link on my profile.

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture.

* * *

Zane sped along the streets of outer Seattle, his thoughts barely registering on the street in front of him. His seven month old daughter, Tanner, was snuggled in a baby carrier against his chest and a duffle bag was strapped to the back of the bike.

Where Jondy should be.

At the thought of his girlfriend, Zane bit his lip. Jondy had been missing for two weeks before now. She just left for work with a yelled good bye and Zane hadn't seen or heard of her since. Her cell phone had turned up down the side of the fridge; she always had been absent minded like that.

Zane sped faster along the streets, Tanner sleeping calmly in the carrier. He hadn't tried to seek Jondy out before now; he had thought up thousands of scenarios that kept Jondy away from home. Maybe someone had found her and she was in hiding. That was pretty much the base of all of Zane's theories. Zane hadn't wanted to ask around, worried one of the Anti Transgenic government types might get wind of Tanner.

But fourteen virtually sleepless nights and days without news of Jondy had made Zane tense and worried. He wanted to know Jondy was safe and sound, just being cautious. But he had a bad feeling. A really bad feeling.

Zane had planned to leave Tanner with their neighbours, who were good friends. But he was worried that if something happened to him… and that Jondy was already … he wanted Tanner to be around her Aunts and Uncles. If someone found out Tanner was the daughter of two transgenics, Jondy and Zane agreed that the risk to the daughter was not one either of them wanted to think about.

Tanner stirred, whimpering. Zane wordlessly pulled over, pulling Tanner out of the carrier.

"Hey, angel," Zane almost cooed at his beautiful girl. And she was a gorgeous baby. No one could deny that. She had his dark hair, and Jondy's wide blue eyes. Jondy always claimed Tanner looked more like an old fashioned doll than a real baby. Jondy had always liked to brag about Tanner, like any other doting mother Zane had met. In fact, compared to Tinga, Zane had found that Jondy had been rather restrained when it came to Tanner.

"What's wrong?" Zane stroked his daughter's cheek as Tanner let out a tiny sob. He knew what was wrong. Tanner was very attached to Jondy. And Jondy wasn't here. Zane cradled his daughter in his arms, trying to stop her whimpers and cries. He tried to shield her from the few passers by and prevent anyone from mentioning the fact he was travelling with a baby on a motorcycle.

Hell, even Syl and Krit would've disapproved of that.

Tanner's small cries stopped as abruptly as they had started and Zane slipped her back into the carrier.

"We're going to find her, Angel," Zane said softly, almost to himself. "Aunt Max will help us. And we'll be back home before we know it." Shaking himself out of his reverie, Zane restarted the motorcycle, weaving through the back streets of Seattle, trying to find the illustrious back entrance to Terminal City.

A summer had passed since Max's face had been splashed all over the news as 'Queen of the Underworld' and 'Trans human Leader'. According to Syl and Krit, about a year had passed since the attack on Manticore in which they'd lost Zack.

It had been a weird year – well, more like two years – for Jondy and Zane, too. Jondy had been in San Francisco and Zane had been in L.A. They'd both known this and had been visiting each other since they had run into each other in '18. It had been good to be able to talk to another X5 and Zane had been horrified when he realised he had, what Krit so eloquently dubbed, 'a thing' for Jondy.

And when Eyes Only told America the X5s had been comprised, Jondy had been waiting for him in Vegas, their appointed meeting place, in the sexiest dress Zane had ever seen. With Ben on the loose, trying to find his lost siblings and Lydecker hot on the trail of any leads, they'd decided that living together was probably a good plan; safety in numbers. And they'd lived together ever since, in a slightly run down townhouse in Chicago, Zane getting a job in a family garage and Jondy working a few nights a week in a fairly decent bar.

And then Eyes Only revealed Manticore to America. And all hell broke loose. Transgenics and Nomalies all over the place. So Syl, Jondy and one of their other brothers, Tawny, started a series of secret transgenic refuges in Chicago. Jondy had been pregnant pretty much the whole time they had run the refuges and Zane was always trying to keep her out of trouble, even bribing Tawny and another brother, Micah, to play bodyguard to Jondy at certain time.

When Tanner was born, the refuges slowed down a little. Most of the 'Manticore refugees', as Syl and Jondy called them, moved out of America – to Canada and Mexico, mostly. Others became a part of what the press called The Underworld; inhabiting towns and suburbs that were uninhabitable to Ordinaries. Syl and Krit (who'd been with Syl the entire time) moved to Portland and Tawny and Micah had hit the road.

And then, Jondy had vanished into thin air.

Zane pulled up outside the wire that had been put around Terminal City; and recently repaired by the transgenic-fearing Seattle council. Zane got off the motorcycle, examining the wire. Tanner whimpered, over tired from the long ride to Seattle from Chicago and hungry. It took Zane a few more moments to find where the wire was loose around the steel pole. Unravelling it carefully, Zane got back onto his bike and managed to angle the bike underneath.

Tanner's whimper upgraded to a sob, gripping tightly to Zane's shirt. "Calm down, angel," Zane murdered at her as he got off the bike and replaced the wire carefully. "Don't want to get attacked on account of you being hungry," Zane muttered. "You know, Tan, you and your Mommy sound the same when you're upset. Let's go find your Aunt Max and some dinner; not necessarily in that order."

Zane wheeled the bike behind some old crates and pulled the duffle bag full of Tanner's things – and one or two of Zane's shirts – stuffed in it. Tanner squealed loudly, waving her hands about. Zane slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and pulled Tanner free of the carrier, balancing her on his hip. Like her mother, Tanner hated sitting still for too long.

"Let's go find Aunty Max," Zane said as Tanner cries subsided.

"Freeze. State your designation and no sudden movements," said a voice behind Zane.

Zane froze, his instincts telling him to pull Tanner into his arms and protect her, but the rational side of his brain told him not to move Tanner in case the owner of the voice started to shoot or whatever; the voice had to have a gun or some form of weapon.

"I'm X5-205," Zane said loudly and clearly. "I'm trying to find my sister, Max X5-452."

"Okay, turn around slowly, no sudden movements," the voice said.

Zane turned around slowly, his arms around Tanner. And came face to face with Ben.

"Ben," Zane said slowly. "What the hell are you doing here?" Raw anger was written across Zane's face and Tanner instinctively whimpered, gripping Zane's leather jacket with her tiny hands.

"No, not Ben. 494," the guy said quickly, defensively. "Alec."

Zane stared blankly at the man in front of him, aiming the gun too closely to Tanner's head for Zane's comfort. "Get that gun away from my daughter."

Alec stared at Zane for a second, then Tanner's tearful face and then the gun in his hand. "Oh. Sorry." And the hand holding the gun dropped to his side. "Cute kid."

"Thanks," Zane said, adjusting Tanner's weight. "Look, I really need to talk to Max."

Alec stared at the man in front of him. He was tall, with black curly hair and bright green eyes and didn't look like any relation of Max's. But Alec vaguely remembered Logan explaining that Max considered all of the '09 escapees her brothers and sisters. Alec wondered what it would be like to actually be able to trust and care about fellow X5s like that; in his unit, you had to be on your back. It wasn't unusual for one of his unit to 'accidentally' shoot another in training, if only to put the other X5 out of the field for a few weeks.

"Come with me," Alec nodded. "I know where you can find Max. And maybe a bottle for the kid."

Zane nodded and followed as Alec led him through the maze of broken and damaged buildings that made up the transgenic sanctuary in Seattle in silence, until Alec led him into a huge gym-like building full of second hand couches, card tables, chairs, mattresses and one small colour television in the middle of the room. Random transgenics sat around the room, reading or talking or playing cards.

Zane spied Maxie almost instantaneously. She hadn't changed much; her hair was long and dark now and she'd always had wonderful brown eyes that reminded Zane of some sort of baby animal.

"Max!" Alec curled out, slinging himself over a ratty blue lounge. "Your brother is here!"

For a second, Max thought Alec meant Zack, as she tore her attention away from the blue prints of the sewer system than ran the circumference of Terminal City. She half expected to see Zack's six foot frame filling the door way, maybe confused, looking for answers…

Instead, it was Zane. The boy who had always silently backed her and Jondy up back in training at Manticore. The one who always covered when Jondy and Max took too long in the bathroom or covered when Jondy and Max were giggling in line.

Max just stared at Zane. He had changed so much. He was so… the word 'hot' sprung into her mind. He was great looking now. Just like Zack and Krit. He looked tired and tense. But it wasn't his appearance that startled Max. It was the baby in his arms that was the reality shock for Max.

"Zane," Max said softly.

"Maxie," Zane said, giving her a tired grin. "Long time, no see little sister."

Max walked over to Zane, giving him an awkward hug around the baby. "I can't believe how long it's been, Zane," she muttered into his shoulder.

"Way too long, Maxie," Zane said, stroking Max's hair. It was then Tanner gave a squawk of annoyance, which was followed by a torrent of tired and angry tears. "I think someone needs a feed and a nap," Zane sighed, pulling away from Max and hoisting Tanner into his arms, rocking her back and forth, trying to calm her down.

"You both look like you need some food and a sleep," Max said. "Didn't know you went and got domesticated, Zane. Wouldn't have pegged you for it." Tanner stopped mid cry and gazed at Max steadily, reaching out for Max's long dark hair.

Zane chuckled and began to stroke Tanner's feathery hair. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to change, Max."

Max smiled at Tanner. "So, I'm an Aunt again, huh? What's her name?"

"Tanner De Luca," Zane said. "Tanner, this is your Aunt Max."

In response, Tanner let out another angry squawk, wriggling in her father's arms.

"She really needs a bottle and a sleep," Zane sighed. "Neither of us has been getting much sleep lately."

Max didn't press the matter. "We've just started allocating some of the apartments in the next block. They're small and rough but they're better than a mattress on the floor, like last week," Max sighed. "Let's go find you two one."

"Thanks Max," Zane said, stifling a yawn of his own.

The next building was crumbling at the top and, Max was right, had very small apartments. More like hotel rooms, in Zane's opinion as Max swung the door open to one.

"It's small, but it has a kitchenette thing and running water – both kinds," Max shrugged.

Zane looked around. A small bathroom with a bath and shower combination. Then a room with a small table, two folding chairs, a double bed and a small television on a crate. Definitely not the house back in Chicago, with Tanner's carefully decorated bedroom and Jondy's photos of the other X5s.

"Thanks Maxie," Zane said, slinging the duffle bag to the floor and setting Tanner down on the floor for her to grab at the blankets sitting in a pile at the end of the bed. Zane sat down on the bed and looked up at his younger sister.

"No problem," Max sat next to Zane as they watched Tanner crawl around the room.

"She should start walking soon," Zane explained as Max watched Tanner pull herself to her feet and looked around the room, a sulky expression on her baby face that was so reminiscent of Jondy's sulky expression, Zane felt like crying and spilling his guts to Max. How Jondy was probably dead and he was left to raise Tanner alone and how he was in the shower when Jondy left and he never got to tell her he loved her again.

"Where's her mama?" Max asked as Tanner dropped back to her knees.

Zane slumped forwards. "She's gone, Maxie. Jon left for work and she didn't come back…"

"Jon? Jondy?" Max asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. "Her mother is Jondy?"

Zane looked away from Max's shocked gaze. "Yeah. Jondy."

Max looked back at Tanner who was peering at a dust ball. Max could see Jondy in Tanner. The eyes and nose and mouth. All Jondy's. Her sister's baby girl. Jondy was missing.

"How long ago did Jondy vanish?" Max looked at her brother.

"Two weeks ago," Zane said pitifully. "She went to work at the bar and she never came home. I found her cell phone in the kitchen two days later; she never took it with her." Zane leant forwards, scooping Tanner up in his arms. "I should put her to bed."

Max stood up. "Zane…" she said slowly. "I promise I'll find Jondy."

Zane gave Max a tired smile. "Thanks baby sister. Knew I could count on you."

Max mirrored his smile. "No probs. Gotta jet."

* * *


	2. Chapter Two

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters:** Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.  
**Notes:** I hope you're all enjoying this! Thank you for the lovely reviews.

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture.

* * *

Max left Zane and Tanner in the hotel room cum apartment and went to the High Place. Not the Space Needle; it wasn't safe for transgenics to leave Terminal City at any time. Supplies were smuggled in via the 'Underworld'; transgenics dealing on the black market and delivering things via the sewer systems that ran all over the city.

No, the Terminal City High Place was the top of the building dubbed X6 Hall; it was where the remaining X6s camped out. The roof was one of the only ones in Terminal City still intact, and it was one of the tallest buildings. From the roof, Max could see all of Terminal City and a bit of Seattle.

Reaching into her pocket, Max pulled out the small silver cell phone Logan had pressed into her hands just before Bling arrived in his car; Logan had been seen at Terminal City, his penthouse in shambles and most likely under constant surveillance, he couldn't stay in Terminal City because of the toxins. He couldn't stay in Seattle because there was most likely a price on his head now. So Bling was accompanying Logan to his Uncle's cabin, the safest place for him to be.

But that didn't make anything less awkward. Logan's parting words to Max were, 'we need to talk soon.' And Max knew that having that talk over the phone was probably safer than actually in person.

Max took a deep breath and hit speed dial '1'.

"You have reached the number you dialled…" Max had gotten Logan's voice mail. So much for that deep conversation about the future of their relationship. Max almost threw the cell phone off the roof; this was the third time she'd called him since he'd left. First time, it was accidental, she was trying to work out how to set up speed dial. The second time… a moment of weakness. She'd gotten voice mail that time as well.

"Logan, it's me again. I need you to run a search on a girl who was living in Chicago. Jondy De Luca. She went missing about two weeks ago, went to work and never came home. She's an X5 too. Anyway, I've got her boyfriend and daughter here, pretty worried. So, anyway, hit me back when you get this message, you never know, third time might be lucky."

Max slammed the cell phone shut and jammed it into her pocket and sat back on the roof, staring out over Terminal City…

"Not answering his phone, huh, Max?" Alec appeared beside her, sitting down, his gaze focused off into the distance.

"Eavesdropping on my calls? That's even beneath Renfro, let alone you, Alec," Max retorted, pushing her hair out of face.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you, Max," Alec held up his hands in defence.

"Go. Away. From. Me - make yourself useful or something," Max turned and walked away.

"Useful? Huh, sorry Max, I don't have a dictionary on me," Alec called after her.

"Then take up knitting or something. Go away," Max shouted back, not turning around, smiling at the completely predictable banter between her and Alec. 'Even when I think I've hit rock bottom, at least I can rely on Alec to be annoying.'

Alec watched Max climb off the roof. 'Logan is insane if he spent a whole year dancing around her.' He stared off into space for awhile longer before climbing off the roof. No one stayed up on the rooves long since the snipers starting picking them off. The snipers started about now, just before dawn.

"Alec, right?"

"Yeah. Zane?" Alec turned around to face Zane. "Where's the kid?"

Zane fell into step with Alec. "Some cat Nomalie offered to watch her for awhile. Tanner loves cats, so she should be okay there for awhile. Listen, I was wondering if you knew about the rest of my sibs."

"The rest?" Alec looked at Zane curiously.

"Syl, Krit, Tawny, Sway and Micah," Zane supplied. "They aren't already here are they?"

Alec thought for a second and shook his head. "Nope - actually, we only have 10 X5s here - including you, me and Max - and they're all from my squad."

Zane nodded, looking disappointed. "So, do you have any way to contact them? Without them getting tracked down or something."

"Talk to Max. She's tight with Eyes Only and the S1W," Alec shrugged and they continued walking in silence for a few seconds. "You care to share about you and Max and the others?"

"You mean the other '09 escapees?" Zane asked.

"Yeah. I mean, Max won't talk about any of you; all I know is the live action I got when 599 fell in with the Steelheads and all that."

Zane stopped walking and gave Alec a hard look. "599? I thought you got out with Max when Manticore burnt down?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Zack - 599 - died three months before that fire." The tone of Zane's voice warned Alec to refer to Zack with his name. Not his designation.

"Manticore had this whole experiment going with synthetic organs and crap. 599 - Zack - is alive. He's out on some farm in Iowa, now," Alec shrugged and kept walking. Before realising Zane hadn't followed him. "What?"

Zane looked up at Alec. "Tell me everything you know about Zack," he said in a quiet, blank voice.

Alec looked thoughtful for a second. "If you tell me everything you know about the '09 escapees."

Zane's expression was unreadable. "Done."

"Okay. Max and I ran into 599 on a run for Jam Pony. And he had this partial amnesia. Manticore had recreated with synthetic organs and steel plates. Like some warped version of that movie; 'Terminator.' 599 blamed Max's boy on him and Max going back to Manticore and tries to kill good old Logan. Of course, Max, being the knight in shining armour in that relationship, wipes 599's memory and sends him out to the cornfields until he learns to heel," Alec finished. "Last I heard he was Adam Thompson."

Zane nodded slowly, his expression still blank. "So, Zack's out there but he doesn't remember Manticore, he doesn't remember who he is and he doesn't know how much danger he's in?"

"In a nutshell, yeah."

Zane sighed, looking irritated. "Look, I need to find Maxie and get someone to go out and get Zack out of there. I'll give you the 411 on the others later."

Alec nodded. "Okay. But don't tell Max I told you."

Zane gave Alec a funny look. Alec shrugged and with a grin. "She might beat me."

Zane visibly shuddered before jogging off in search of Max.

Max was looking through some abandoned buildings in the back of Terminal City, trying to find out which were safe enough to inhabit and which needed repairs when Zane tracked her down.

"Zane, what's up? I thought you and Tanner were sleeping?" Max asked, jumping down from the roof of one building.

"Max, I've lived with Jondy for the best part of two years; I've got my sleeping patterns down," Zane said wryly. "Look, I was talking to… to some of the transgenics around here and they told me what happened with Zack."

Max looked at the ground. "Zane, it was the only thing I could do at the time. He was going to kill Logan."

Zane shook his head. "It was the wrong thing to do and you know. I can imagine what Syl – and Jondy – are going to do and say to you when they find out and it isn't pretty."

Max bit her lip. "You don't understand what it was like. He didn't remember anything. I gave him that normal life he wanted so badly."

"Max," Zane interrupted. "We're never going to be normal, and I know the rest of us accept that and try to live as normal a life as possible. Zack knows this. But Zack's the sort of guy who lusts after the things he can't have – a normal life, you, Lydecker's head on a platter…"

"I did what I thought was right," Max snapped. "You can't tell me what I should've done when you were off playing house with Jondy."

"Playing house?" Zane retorted. "Jondy and Syl were the ones running after the transgenics that ended up in Chicago. They were the two that set up refuges the public didn't know about, the ones who bailed the Nomalies out of public executions. And most of this was done while Jondy was pregnant. No matter how much I love Tanner, she definitely wasn't planned, Max."

Max took a deep breath. "Okay. Look, I'm sorry I gave Zack a normal life and saved the life of my… of Logan."

"I'm not mad at you, Max," Zane said slowly. "I'm annoyed that you didn't have Zack's best interests in mind when you sent him to Iowa, but your own. I'm annoyed you think Jondy and I had it easy in Chicago but I'm not mad."

"What do you want to do about Zack?" Max said, sitting down on a crate.

"I want to send Syl and Krit in with another X5 Syl knows. Syl's the best at that psych stuff and this X5 she knows is from a special branch of psy-ops," Zane said.

"Is her name Mia?" Max asked out of the blue.

"Yeah," Zane said with a grin. "She was teaching Tawny and Syl and Jondy all these psych tricks. Krit and I were going insane with all the crap they were pulling. Wait.. how do you know Mia?"

"Long story," Max shrugged. "How do you know her?"

"Those refuges in Chicago. I think Tawny took it upon himself to turn Mia into his idea of a perfect woman and it backfired on him," Zane said with a grin. "Moron."

"Tawny?" Max's face lit up at the mention of another brother. "He got out?"

"Yeah. Him and Micah and Sway," Zane said, with a reminiscent grin. "Sway's off in New York City, trying to make it as a Broadway actress and failing miserably. Micah was up in New Orleans with Mia and Tawny was going up to see Jace last time we spoke."

Max shook her head. "I never thought I'd know who those other three were. I can't believe Tawny and Micah split from Manticore."

Zane shrugged. "After we lost Jack and Eva, they had no reason to stay."

"I thought Tawny would've stuck around for Jace," Max said. "Sway was Eva's best friend."

"She's doing okay, now," Zane said slowly, nodding. "She's happy being the worst actress to ever walk the face of the planet, I think."

Max laughed. "An actress? What did Zack say?"

Zane leant against some railing. "Zack went off, of course. How irresponsible she was being and how she was endangering everyone's lives. Don't know why he bothered, really. Sway changes her look so often, Lydecker never would've caught up with her."

Max smiled. "What do the others do?"

Zane looked up. "Well, Micah and Mia were running some scam psychic operation to the rich and famous of Beverly Hills. Tawny just drives up and down the West Coast, doing odd jobs and visiting us all. Jondy, Syl, Tawny and Micah ran the transgenic refuges for awhile but they've handed that over to some other trans humans now. Syl was writing a book about her life that Krit said was very long winded and Krit was a bike messenger in San Fran last I heard. Jace is living off the earnings of everyone now." A sad look fluttered over Zane's face for a second.

"What happened?" Max said, looking concerned.

"Victor turned up dead. Jace's son, Max, is fine… except for some killer seizures," Zane said quietly. "Tawny and I have told Jace we don't think he'll make it past his fifth birthday and that she should spend as much with him as possible. So, we all pitch in and send Jace some of our pay check each week."

Max looked upset. "I didn't know. This year has been so hard with White and the virus and everything I didn't get to talk to her as much as I wanted to."

"It's okay, Max, we had Jace's back," Zane said. "We've got your back as well."

"Thanks."

"No prob."

"Zane," Max said, after a moment of silence as they both mulled over what had been said.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about Jondy."

Zane looked at Max, his little sister. The little sister who'd fallen through the ice eleven years ago and whom Jondy had mourned for every day since then. Max looked at her boots, remembering Jondy as a child.

"She's got dark hair," Zane started slowly. "It used to be long, now it's shorter. She cut it to just past her shoulders. About the same height as you, I think. She's still got those blue eyes. Jon's wonderful with Tanner. She really loves her. You should see Jondy and Syl together; Krit used to call them the Chaos Twins. Krit's not so keen on Jondy now that Syl's trying to convince Krit to start a family; Krit blames Jon for planting the idea in Syl's head."

"What?" Max interrupted. "Freeze frame and rewind. Syl AND Krit? Since when?"

"Since '18. Geez, Zack really did leave you out in the cold. Before '18, Krit and I travelled together and Syl travelled with Tawny. I know Jondy spent a lot of time with Zack as a kid."

Max's shoulders slumped. "You guys are all so close. I feel like I've lost a lifetime."

"Don't," Zane sat down next to her. "We were scattered all over America, at one point. I don't think any of the escapee pairs actually managed to stay together that night. We all got split up. We're all hooking up again."

Max nodded slowly. "Guess we better go and get Syl and Krit and Mia on Zack's case, huh?"

"Probably a good idea," Zane nodded. "Let me check on Tanner first."

They started back towards Main Hall and the apartment block.

"So, guess this is the family reunion we've been working towards," Max said. "We just need to bail Jondy out and it'll be like old times."

Zane nodded, looking away at the mention of Jondy.

"We'll get her back," Max promised. "I'm not letting my niece grow up without a Mama." Max's thoughts flicked back to Case, who'd never see his own mother again. Silently, Max vowed to get Jondy back. 'I'm not letting another X5 leave a baby behind,' she thought. 'The world owes us Jondy.'

* * *


	3. Chapter Three

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters:** Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** Apologies that this is taking awhile to write – I have so many fics, I tend to fall behind.

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture.

* * *

Ames White looked through the glass window that lead to the room, almost institutional like it was so sterile, and gazed at the X5. Two-one-zero. 

She'd been found in Chicago, living with a partner but unmarried. Further investigation had found that she also had a daughter and worked nights in a bar. It hadn't been hard to follow her and recapture her for termination.

The X5 lay still on the gurney, her brown hair matted to her skull and her skin paper white. Bruises were up and down both her arms and on her face. Dark circles were under both eyes. Her hands were chained to the wall, and a tube was attached to her neck, slowly dripping the drugs that had kept her quiet for the last fourteen days into her veins.

The drugs in question were ones that had been used in Psy-Ops, at Manticore.

Contrary to popular opinion, Psy Ops was not the latest technology. It was second rate and very experimental. The methods that went throught Psy-Ops had been ones that were being road tested for public use. Ninety percent of all drugs that were tested in Manticore Psy Ops were eventually labelled unfit for human consumption. More than seventy percent of all long-term Psy Ops patients at Manticore ended up dead or with permanent brain damage. The survivors of Psy Ops were so rare, that they were experimented on to see why they survived the treatment and ended up dead.

Dead for surviving death.

The drug running through 210's veins had done more harm than good during it's time at Manticore. Now on the White House's list of dangerous drug warfare, it hadn't done any visible damage to 210 as of yet.

But then, X5-210 wouldn't last long enough for the detrimental effect to become obvious.

White turned to the guards who stood behind him. "Get her on a second-grade sedative. Keep her chained up. She mentions a word about the boyfriend or the child, I want to know. Eight X5s are still unaccounted for."

"Yes sir!" The guards saluted and moved into Jondy's cell.

Jondy felt like she was dying. Her head pounded so hard, it was an effort not to scream in pain. Her eyes burned and her vision swum. Her stomach twisted and lurched, her limbs cramping. She felt like her heart would explode. Sweat dripped off her face and she tried so hard not to move, not to aggravate her body, but every breath brought tears to her eyes.

Jondy knew the drugs well. They were what they had put Syl on when Syl shot Dem. Syl had been sick for a long time afterwards and now got headaches and loss of vision that could last for days. And nightmares.

Jondy had never understood why Syl was so terrified of Psy Ops, why Syl still had nightmares about those weeks she'd spent in Psy Ops, but lying on the gurney, a guard injecting her with something bright blue, she knew the terror. She tried to scream for Zane, but a tube was pushed past her lips, down her throat and in her mind's eye, Jondy could almost see the black-silver liquid sliding down her throat like mercury.

She attempted to struggle, to scream for Zane, to scream to be shot but before any noise could pass her lips, she was unconscious again, falling back down somewhere dark.  
---

Jondy could see things in her mind. It was like she couldn't remember herself being apart of any of it, flashes and snapshots from a life that she didn't remember being hers. Just memories she could not longer relate to.

Watching Max fall into the ice.

Spending a night in a snow drift, crying her eyes out for Max or Zack.

Eating some pizza out of the garbage because she was so hungry.

Running, terrified, from Ben and straight into Zane.

Zane's mouth on hers, hands up her skirt.

Being seven months pregnant in some sort of refuge and having seizures.

Tanner sleeping in Zane's arms, as he cried happy tears.

The seizures.

Krit and Syl kissing under the mistletoe while Tawny teased them mercilessly.

Micah and Tawny having an argument over a pretty Psy Ops trained X5 named Mia.

In her unconscious mind, all Jondy could feel was the uncertainty, the terror, the pain, the sadness… nothing good…

Her hand reached for a gun only her mind could see.

Jondy's eyes opened and she breathed heavily, wheezing and coughing suddenly, from the lack of tubes down her mouth. She had been unchained and unhooked from the tubes that kept the sedatives flowing. Rubbing her wrists, Jondy sat up, bringing her knees to her chest, her eyes resting on the man standing before her, flanked by two guards with stun-guns. And a sedative or nine.

"X5-210," White smiled, as Jondy huddled on the gurney, glowering at him like some deranged 1960s mental patient.

"Random Asshole," Jondy croaked back at him. Her mouth felt like sandpaper and her head swum a bit.

"Before you continue with the witty banter that your late sister 452 was so memorable for, I'd like you to congratulate you," White smiled. "Lasted the longest of all the X5s. Last one to break."

White stared at 210 in front of him without flinching. She'd been too easy to capture and he was going to tell her because of her laziness at protecting her family, they were dead. Because of her. Somehow, telling this Manticore freaks that they screwed up was satisfying. Ames liked reminding them that they weren't more perfect than humans. They stuffed up. These freaks were less than human.

Jondy's eyes narrowed but she did not flinch. 'He's lying. Maxie's fine. She's fine.'

"Who else was here?" she demanded, her gaze not leaving White, her voice croaking and wavering.

"452, 599, 205, 701... Every escaped X5 was here. I believe 205's body was incinerated four hundred and sixty seven minutes ago, 210," White smiled, as he listed all the X5s from the 2009 report. "All I had to do was show him you and he went crazy. And according to a declaration made by Washington Officials, that gave us the right to shoot him on sight."

Jondy felt the blood run out of her face. "You're lying." Not Zane. No, no, not Zane. He was with Tanner. A pause. "Washington?" Washington. Maxie's in Seattle. That's near Washington, right?

White's smile faltered a fraction. 'Gotcha,' Jondy thought, trying to keep her head in the game.

"205 screamed for you for seven days straight, 210, but finally he gave in."

Jondy felt her vision spin. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not," White took a step closer. "You've been in here for fourteen days now 210. Every single member of your family is dead." White turned to the guards. "Full blood tests. I want to know if 210 has the same DNA strand found in 452, 471, 656 and 205. No sedatives until 0600 hours and we'll move her with the rest."

Jondy slipped off the bed. White turned around, his gun trained on Jondy's heart.

"Take the risk, 210 and your child will be killed," White reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a photo that made Jondy sick to her stomach. Tanner.

"Touch her and I'll rip you a new…!" Jondy yelled, throwing herself at White. The stun guns hit her mid air and she collapsed onto the lino, shaking. 'Tan, Tan, be okay. Please be okay.'

"Blood tests," White ordered, turning on his heal. "Chain her up."

And Jondy felt herself go limp as the guards dragged her back to the gurney.

As unconsciousness claimed Jondy, her thoughts were with her daughter and Zane…

'They'll be okay… They'll be okay…'

Ames White watched 210's unconscious form on the gurney. "I want exact locations of 205 and the child," White ordered the guards. "The chance that child is of any use to us is slim but I want full DNA work ups of the entire family."

* * *


	4. Chapter Four

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters: **Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** Well, this will be my first update of M.I.A since the rewrite. All chapters have been rewritten, since I originally started this when I was thirteen or fourteen, and my writing skills have developed - hopefully for the better - and I felt I could do more justice to the characters if I rewrote it.

There's no excuses for my shocking gaps between updates. I have ideas, just nothing I think anyone would enjoy... aka, writer's block. Fun, eh? And The Barcode Awards, and a new website... yeah, a lot of things :D Hopefully more updates will be happening more frequently now, but you never know.

Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews :) I'd love some reader's opinions about where I should take this story.

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture.

* * *

Zane sat in the apartment later than night, sipping on some lukewarm coffee, watching his daughter roll around the floor with her toys. She would look over at Zane every few minutes, blinking her bright blue eyes and watch him carefully. No doubt she was nervous that Jondy had been gone for such a long time. 

"It's okay, Angel," Zane said, putting his mug on the table and sitting next to her on the floor, picking up one of Tanner's books. Jondy had spent every spare dollar on books, toys and clothes for Tanner. He could see it in his mind, the night before she vanished. Going into Tanner's room, tucking her baby in and reading to her; Tanner watching her mother until she drifted off to sleep.

Tanner watched her father open the book. She was bathed and in her pyjamas; Gem had offered to bath her, having a baby bath and nappies. And Zane had been grateful for the extra half an hour break; he'd managed to shower, choke down some food and find something for Tanner to eat before picking her up at Gem's apartment. Gem's daughter, CeCe, was six or seven months old now and watched Tanner carefully from her highchair, silently.

"Bring her back anytime," Gem had said sweetly. "CeCe could do with some company, and Joshua likes helping me look after the babies."

Zane grinned, swinging Tanner, who smelt like talcum powder and sweet-smelling baby shampoo, onto his hip. "Tan hasn't spent any time with other kids before, so it would probably do her some good." Tanner watched her father as he spoke carefully.

And now, Tanner was watching him carefully as he opened it, waiting for her to crawl over and listen. And only a few seconds past before Tanner was close enough for him to scoop up and carry to the bed. Max was going to track down a crib for Tanner the next day. Tonight, she'd sleep in the bed with Zane. Which wouldn't exactly make for a restful night, but Zane hadn't gotten much sleep for the last two weeks, another night wouldn't kill him.

Tanner squirmed around in his arms for a second, squealing unhappily. Zane let her wiggle around for a bit. She always fussed when she was put to sleep, and he could remember Jondy doing it the whole time they were at Manticore. Jondy hated to sleep; she always had something else that needed doing.

_Zane padded downstairs, yawning. He'd crashed unusually early for him; ten that night. But it was now three, and he had to get up for work in less than four hours and Jondy still hadn't come to bed. _

_The light was on in the kitchen, and he paused a second, watching her carefully. Her hair was pinned off her face and she was dressed in a pair of sweats of one of Zane's old t shirts, which stretched across her pregnant stomach. Dark circles had appeared under her eyes and Zane held the opinion that she was too thin. She'd lost weight around the face and the baby was awfully small considering she was nine months pregnant. She was scribbling something down, flipping through files. _

"_You are so not doing the refuge's filing at three in the morning," Zane said, stepping into the kitchen. Jondy jumped and twisted around to look at him, blinking slowly._

"_Three?" she looked confused before looking up at the clock before slumping in her chair. "I've been promising Syl I'd pay all the bills and organize some stuff for two weeks now. If I don't get it done by… well, today, she'll kill me."_

"_No she won't," Zane said, kneeling down to Jondy's level, stroking her hair. A miserable look slipped across her face._

"_No she won't," Jondy sniffed. "She'll tell me it's okay, and she'll take over, and that I should relax and enjoy being pregnant while it lasts. She can handle it with Tawny and Micah. But Micah's working nights, and Tawny doesn't want to help out and Krit can't quit his job because the refuge needs the money since I quit work…"_

"_Because they really want you at the bar like this," Zane joked, resting his hand on her stomach. _

"_It's not the point! Syl's taken up extra hours so we can pay the bills and I don't want to dump all the responsibility on her cause I was too stupid to take all those safe sex campaigns seriously," Jondy sniffled again._

_Zane sighed. It had been hard, but they were coping. Micah and Tawny were chipping in a bunch of their pay check and Sway had taken on the sole responsibility of Jace's finances while Jondy was on maternity leave. The government had given Jondy and Zane a small pay out because they were unmarried and starting a family. Not that Zane had been dumb enough to fill in their real names on the form. He didn't need anyone from Manticore flipping through the files and stumbling across the forms. He'd saved quite a bit without telling Jondy, prepared to either spoil his new kid rotten or bail the refuge out if the worst came to the worst. _

"_It's okay. You're allowed to take a break and relax, Jondy," Zane stood up and picked her up off the chair. "This time next month and you'll be back at it. And when Syl decides to get herself knocked up, you can cover for her."_

"_She's not so stupid she'd get pregnant now," Jondy sniffled again, her arms around Zane's neck. "Let me just finish up, I was almost done."_

"_It's three in the morning, Jondy. God knows you'll leave for the refuge at the crack of dawn tomorrow. You need some sleep," Zane said, pulling back the covers of the bed and laying Jondy down in it. "The baby needs you to rest."_

_Jondy relaxed in the bed, rolling over to face him as Zane climbed into bed and pulled her close to him. "You look after me too much. I don't… need to sleep… Zane." Her eyes fluttered as she began to drift off to sleep, one arm resting on Zane's chest and the other wrapped protectively around her stomach._

Zane smiled to himself at the memory. Jondy had half killed herself for the next week, until Micah put her under house arrest, insisting she take it easy. Three days of Micah's constant watch and refusal to let her check on the refuge or even go shopping and Jondy had gone into a long labour. Which had almost killed Zane, with the stress and the yelling and the threats.

He looked at Tanner. She'd fallen asleep next to him, her fingers grasping the blankets of the bed softly. Her chin quivered in a whimper than Zane was well versed in. Jondy had been weaning Tanner off of her pacifier in the last few weeks, and it had been going well. This was the first time Tanner had fussed over it.

Her blue eyes opened, meeting her father's and she let out a little sob, which threatened to turn into a full pitched wail slash scream and Zane sighed, rolling off of the bed and going through their things. He would've brought one. He wasn't so thoughtless he would've left it at home because Jondy was convinced Tan had been weaned off it.

Of course, his never ending faith in Jondy and her ability at mothering had won out in the end. There was no pacifier in the bag. Zane closed his eyes. 'Jondy would've thought of this. She's been telling me this for months – in times of stress, she'll want the pacifier back.' Scooping up a sobbing Tanner, her face streaked with tears, Zane made his way down to Gem's apartment.

Gem answered the door to a stressed looking Zane and a hysterical Tanner. "What's wrong?" Gem said worriedly, stroking Tanner's hair softly. "She's not sick, is she?"

Zane shook his head. "She wants a pacifier. I thought Jondy had cured her of it, and left it in Chicago."

Gem smiled knowingly and slipped into the bedroom she shared with CeCe and reappeared moments later with a pink plastic pacifier. "A spare." As Tanner opened her mouth to let out another ear-splitting wail, Gem popped it into her mouth and Tanner looked around at her, amazed. And silent.

"Thanks," Zane said gratefully. "I don't know what I would've done without…"

"It's okay," Gem said. "I don't know how many times CeCe started to scream before I remembered to carry one with me everywhere, and a spare in her bag. It's hard, getting used to someone being totally dependent on you. I bet your girlfriend finds it hard, too."

Zane smiled sadly. "Jondy's a natural. She just knows what Tanner's thinking before anything else happens. The only place she didn't take Tan was the bar where she worked. And Jondy hated leaving her. I just… don't know how she does it. I don't know if I can do it without her for much longer."

Gem looked at him with a look of understanding in her eyes. "If it was a choice between letting go of Tanner, letting someone else see her smile and watch her sleep and see her walk, and doing this every single day until you die…"

Zane looked at his daughter, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder, sucking peacefully on her pacifier. "It isn't a choice," he said softly, rubbing her back.

Gem smiled. "Exactly. I had to ask myself the same question with CeCe. It's hard. And it would be harder for Jondy because she's expected to know exactly what Tanner's thinking when – when she's hungry, when she's tired, how to calm her instantly when she's upset. You just learn how to fake it really fast."

Zane chuckled. "Don't suppose you want to tell me how to fake that knowing?"

Gem smirked. "Woman's prerogative. You better get her into bed."

Zane nodded. "Thanks Gem, you're a lifesaver."

Gem smiled. "Good night, Zane."


	5. Chapter Five

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters: **Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** Thanks to Steph and ZombieGurl98 for their reviews. Jondy and Zane's history will be fleshed out mainly through flashbacks in this fic. I'm always interested in readers input for my stories. If you would like to see anything in this story, leave a review. And I promise this will be M/A, for anyone who is unsure.

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture. I only own Tanner, Micah, Sway and the character of Tawny. The name of Tawny is borrowed from the ever excellent Kara. Everyone else belongs to James Cameron.

* * *

Jondy coughed as she sat up slowly, her hand against her head. She was shaking a little, no doubt from the drugs that this Ames White person was having her pumped full of. She lay back on the gurney, staring at the two tubes snaking into her wrist – one liquid was a deep transparent-blue one and the other was clear and dripping at a steady rate. Drip… drip… drip…

Jondy rolled over slowly on the gurney, closing her eyes. They felt red raw and stinging. She took in two deep, yet shaky, breaths. She felt like death. She'd never been strong when it came to Psy-ops; she was the one who always broke first.

She could hear a baby cry in the distance and her fingers tightened on the thin mattress. The baby kept crying, as no one attended it. Jondy opened her eyes, her gaze focusing on the drip again.

"Good morning, 2-1-0."

Jondy tensed up as Ames White strolled into the room, followed by two soldiers, carrying a silver suitcase with them. One of the soldiers set up the suitcase on a small table by the wall, but White obscured Jondy's view of exactly what he was doing. The other soldier was examining the drips at the head of the gurney. Jondy laid completely still, her head pounding.

White stood next to Jondy and picked up a glass of water that was sitting on the table next to the bed. He lifted it to her lips and Jondy drank slowly. It could be laced with poison, or something to make her sleep or… her mind was sluggish from the drugs and she couldn't keep her thoughts straight.

"Now, 2-1-0, I want to ask you a few questions, okay?" Ames said, putting the water back on the table.

"Feel free to ask them, jerk, but I can't promise I'll answer," Jondy croaked, coughing a little.

White's hand was suddenly clamped around her throat, effectively pinning her to the bed. "You will answer my questions, 2-1-0, I can promise you that. Now, I want to know exactly where your child is."

Jondy's voice caught in her throat. "You don't have my baby?" she managed. "She's okay? You said… What about my boyfriend?" she swallowed. Please, please let Zane have Tanner somewhere safe. He would've taken her to Jace in Mexico.

White's fist slammed into her face before Jondy could even react. Her head whipped back, colliding with a dull thud against the metal bed-head. White took a step back.

"Understand one thing, 2-1-0. You aren't asking the questions. You are answering them. And if you fail to answer the questions quickly and honestly, there will be consequences." White held up a taser. "What is the location of your child?"

Jondy bit her lip tightly as White brought the taser down to the side of her neck. "Answer me, 2-1-0." And he flipped the switch higher on the taser, as Jondy's body shook violently on the bed. She felt her stomach lurch and her eyes rolled back into her head, falling unconscious to White's demands.

_She blinked, suddenly awake, and looked around the room. Her eyes focused on the small details of the room... The wallpaper was nondescript grey. And there was a shelf near the door, covered with vases of flowers; small bunches of roses in sorbet colours, fluffy, fresh, bright flowers wrapped in cellophane. The graying white blinds pulled back from the window to let the morning sunshine flood in…_

_And Zane was standing next to the window, staring dazed at the bundle in his arms. He swayed gently, back and forth, gazing at the baby in his arms. _

_Zane was enraptured. His daughter was perfect, with feathery dark hair just like his, and Jondy's wide, bright blue eyes. She lay quite peacefully in his arms, wrapped in a pink blanket, with a little pink cap on her head. He could feel her breathe against him. She was utterly, and completely perfect. _

_The baby yawned, not opening her beautiful eyes, and settled against Zane once again. Zane couldn't take his eyes away from her._

"_You look just like your beautiful mama, Angel," Zane murmured. "You're going to grow up to be the smartest, prettiest little girl ever."_

"_With lines like that," Jondy's voice broke into his thoughts. She'd passed out not long after she'd given birth, and slept through the next twenty seven hours. The doctor whom Jondy had put her trust in had pumped Jondy full of adrenaline and other meds, trying to re-hydrate her. And now she was awake. _

_Her hair was tousled and she still looked drained; her face was pale and she looked very thin and tired. But she was sitting up against the pillows calmly, watching Zane with his daughter. _

"_Such a sweet talker," Jondy teased, her eyes bright. _

_Zane walked slowly over to Jondy, trying not to unsettle their baby, before placing her gently into Jondy's waiting arms. _

"_What are we going to call her?" Zane asked softly, pulling a chair up and sitting next to the bed. Jondy bit back a giggle at the adoring expression that was on Zane's face, before focusing on her daughter. None of the names they'd thought of seemed right, looking at their child's face. _

"_Penny?" Zane offered tentatively. "Eva? Brin?"_

_Jondy shook her head. "No. She's not… She's not Manticore. She's different."_

_They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before a nurse came bustling in. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything… good to see you awake now, Mrs. De Luca."_

"_Miss De Luca," Jondy corrected absently, completely oblivious to anything but her baby. _

"_Well, Miss De Luca, that baby girl of yours needs a name. I'll go and get a doctor to check you, and you two can fill out the birth certificate," the nurse said, handing Zane an official looking piece of paper and a pen. _

_Zane stared at the piece of paper. It asked them for information they technically could not give._

"_Jon," Zane began, looking over at her._

"_Yeah?"_

_And Zane made an unconscious decision. "Doesn't matter." And he carefully lettered their names; Jondy De Luca, and Zane Guevara, the surname he'd adopted from Krit. The name Krit had stolen off Max. The family name. The one thing they could pass on to each other. _

"_Her name is Tanner. Tanner De Luca," Jondy said suddenly, looking up at Zane._

"_Tanner," Zane repeated, looking at his daughter. "I like that." And he signed the certificate before handing Jondy the pen. And they both signed the piece of paper for Tanner. They both silently agreed; no more running and no more hiding._

White look at the inanimate body of 210. She hadn't moved in over an hour. Her skin was white and looked like wax. Her lips were faintly blue and her breathing rattled her thin body.

"She will wake up soon, Sir," one of the soldiers reassured him. "Some of the medication you requested has unreliable effects in each patient, Sir."

White looked at 210's pale face. 'Where are they, X5? Where are you hiding them?'

"Soldier, I want every one of my men on the look out for the partner and the child. They should all have a copy of their descriptions. And it is crucial that they are alive when they are brought it," White ordered.

"Why?" the soldier looked confused. "You ordered us to terminate 452 on sight, sir."

"That was before 452 relocated my son. His location dies with her," White said slowly, almost musing. "I can hand her 210 and 210's family in exchange for my son, or 452 watches her sister and her family die slowly and painfully."

Jondy's eyes fluttered against her cheek, as she floated in and out of consciousness, barely able to absorb what White was saying.

White turned to leave before sneering at Jondy. "She'll break soon. She's weak. All Manticore creations were weak."


	6. Chapter Six

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters: **Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** Exams suck. I have two more left to do - French and English Extn - so, wish me luck! I have a lot of half done song fics, and new chapters and a certain third part of a trilogy to edit and put up soon. Don't think for a moment I've abandoned any of my Dark Angel fic. They will be all finished eventually, I promise.

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture. I only own Tanner, Micah, Sway and the character of Tawny. The name of Tawny is borrowed from the ever excellent Kara. Everyone else belongs to James Cameron.

* * *

Max paced her small 'apartment' space, glaring at the cell phone that lay completely silent on her bed. Logan hadn't called. He hadn't returned any of her messages, or checked up on her. The rational side of her brain said that maybe, up where the cabin was, Logan couldn't get reception for his phone. That side of her brain also pointed out that maybe this was fate letting her know that she and Logan just weren't meant to be.

She threw herself down in a chair, continuing to glare at the phone. How could he? After all those promises, he went and left her all alone, when she needed him the most, as clichéd as it sounded…

"He's sleeping with Asha," a voice broke into her thoughts.

"Alec. Have you heard of knocking?" Max said with a bored expression across her face, looking up at Alec, who was leaning against the doorframe.

"It's a concept entirely foreign to me," Alec replied angelically. "But I thought it was about time you know Logan's kickin' it with Asha. The whole transgenic babe thing lost its appeal when he couldn't take advantage of … your muscle control." Alec gave Max a wicked grin.

Max grabbed the closest object to her – the cell phone Logan had given her – and hurled it at Alec. Alec jumped back, and the phone hit the door frame and fell to the floor.

"Uh, you killed the bad phone, Maxie," Alec said, looking at the phone, lying on the floor in three pieces.

Max looked at the phone in horror. "Logan gave that to me," she said softly. Alec picked the pieces up and held them out to her.

"Maybe you could fix it?" he said, almost sheepishly. "The manufacturers would take accidents into account."

Max examined the pieces and fished out the SIM card from the phone. "I guess if I can find a new phone…" she said, sighing, before turning on Alec. "If YOU hadn't…"

Alec held his hands up in defense. "I was offering my opinion! I did nothing wrong! I didn't tell you to kill your phone! I like phones! I was planning on stealing that phone!"

Max frowned, and tossed the pieces of phone onto her bed. "Great. Now I can't call Logan. He can't call me. No supplies, no leads, no help from Eyes Only. Satisfied?"

Alec looked at Max, her hands on her hips, her lips twisted into a pout and her dark hair framing her face…

"Not even nearly," he said quietly, looking directly into her eyes.

Max froze for a moment, looking directly into Alec's eyes. Sure, he could be annoying. But he'd grown on her, and now… well, she looked forward to seeing him, he was something reliable in her life - the one reliable thing in her life, at the moment. Logan wasn't returning her calls, even when her mobile phone was in one piece.

"I've gotta go," Max said abruptly, almost rudely, and instantly regretted it. "I'll see you later."

Alec nodded once, and looked at the ground, in almost an embarrassed way. "Yeah. Later Maxie."

Max slipped out of her apartment block, into the main 'street' of Terminal City. Dirt and grime was everywhere. The buildings were falling down around the transgenics and they had no supplies – food was rationed to the last grain of rice, no building supplies to repair the buildings…

A few X6s were hunched against a wall, talking softly. A cat nomalie lead two X9s into a building. It was quiet here.

"Max!"

Zane jogged up beside her, balancing an alert looking Tanner on his hip.

"What are you doing up?" Max asked. "Thought you were putting Tanner down?"

"I did. She slept and now she's awake," Zane said, grinning tiredly. "She only sleeps four hours a night or something. Jondy usually spent the early hours of the morning walking with her, or reading to her. Trying to get her to sleep. Must be that shark DNA or something. What's up?"

"Nothing," Max said, smiling at Tanner, who was bundled up in a pink tracksuit, with a little pink cap covering her head. "Nothing's wrong."

"I didn't say anything was wrong," Zane said gently, slinging his other arm around Max's shoulders. "So, what is wrong, baby sister?"

Max leant against her brother. Zane was so solid. Always there. He always protected Jondy, always defended the others. Always offering advice if it was asked for.

"Logan hasn't called," Max said slowly. Never mind he couldn't now, thanks to her spectacular aim and Alec's Manticore reflexes. "I'm wondering if it's worth it, waiting for him. We've already waited so long…"

"It's been hard?" Zane asked.

"A genetically targeted retro virus," Max said grimly. "Renfro infected me when I was back at Manticore."

Zane nodded. "Makes sense, really. It's pretty cool, if you think about it."

Max turned around with an incredulous expression on her face. "Zane!" She smacked him upside the head. "They were the bad guys! Manticore!"

"Maxie!" Zane gave her a wounded expression, rubbing his head. "I'm just saying! Thinking of creating a virus that would kill Logan when you two _kissed_ was pretty ingenious. I'm not saying it was right, but it was clever."

Max made a face. "I can't say I think of Manticore as highly as you obviously do, Zane," she said moodily. "I might just go…"

"Maxie," Zane said. "Wait. Talk to me."

Before Max could leave, Tanner leant over and grabbed Max's hair in her tiny hand and looked at Max directly in the eyes. Max sighed, and untangled her hair from Tanner's tiny fist.

"I don't know what to do Zane," she said quietly. "Do I wait around for Logan?"

"Or?" Zane prompted.

"There's someone else. A maybe," Max replied, looking at the ground.

Zane motioned to a set of steps, as he sat down, setting Tanner down on the ground. "Come sit, Max."

Max sat next to her big brother, resting her head against his shoulder, "So what do I do, Zane? I think I love Logan. But I think there might be something with Al… the other person, too."

Zane raised his eyebrows at the slip but didn't call attention to it, his gaze firmly fixed on his infant daughter who was rolling in the dirt. "I honestly don't know, Max. For me, it was always Jondy. Even when we were kids, I think. I took a risk telling her, I guess," Zane looked at the ground. "I never ever forgot a moment I spent with her. I should've told her I loved her more when she was here." He sighed, touching Tanner's soft hair.

"She's coming back, Zane," Max said, with more conviction than she felt. "I am not losing another sister."

Zane nodded a grim expression on his face. "I won't get my hopes up," he said quietly. "And Maxie?"

"Yeah?"

"Whoever the other guy is, go for it. If you're questioning how you feel about Logan for this guy, you aren't in love with Logan," Zane looked up at her, an unreadable expression on his face. "The minute you meet the person you're meant for, everyone else sort of fades in comparison. It's worth the risk."

Max smiled, half to herself. "I guess, in theory. But in practice?"

Zane shrugged. "Can't tell you how to feel, baby sister. You've done stuff like this before. Escaped from a government lab, come face to face with Lydecker, gone back to Manticore, burnt the place down. Deciding which guy to date sort of pales in comparison, dontcha think?"

Before Max could reply, Alec appeared.

"Max, we just got a call," he said, looking solemn for the first time since Zane had arrived. "Two X5s, stated their designations as X5-701 and X5-471. Said that they had located X5-599, that someone has been keeping tabs on him, and they would be in touch in a week."

Max frowned. "They couldn't speak to me?"

"Nah. Lousy connection," Alec shrugged. "Seems to me no one knows the value of a good mobile phone these days."

"I did, until you killed it," Max retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Was I the one who threw the poor thing against the wall?" Alec replied, mimicking her tone and pose. "No. And it was a good phone, Maxie! It must've cost Logan a few dubloons. Of course, it could be because of that wicked guilt complex he's been toting for the last few weeks."

Max gave Alec a dark look. "Logan hasn't been kicking it with Asha. And I do not want to hear about it again."

Alec shrugged. "Only trying to protect you, Maxie."

Zane scooped Tanner off the ground and watched the two X5s banter back and forth.

"Since when have you ever wanted to protect me? I seem to remember having to fight you in a boxing match. Didn't seem much on protecting me then."

"Hey! I didn't want to fight you! I remember telling you I didn't want to fight you! It was you who fought me! And kicked me in the groin!"

"All because you couldn't resist looking to see a topless woman!"

"There was no topless woman!"

Max rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. "Whatever. I'm gonna catch some sleep and we'll organize some recon for White's latest base of ops at 0700, okay?"

Zane bit back laughter. "Night, Maxie. Hope you're feeling better," he kissed her cheek and adjusted his grip on his daughter. "You two make a very cute couple."

"Shut up, Zane."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters: **Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** I apologise for not updating anything during the month of November; I was participating in NanoWrimo2004 with an original piece, and I did successfully write 50 000 words in a month. But now I have the (Australian) summer off, I plan to do a lot of DA writing! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I had a few creative problems with it. Review just to let me know people are still interested in my writing ;)

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture.

* * *

Four days had passed in a haze of pain and something else, to Jondy. She wouldn't reveal Zane and Tanner's location to White, and he had tortured her, before leaving her to be tortured by his minions.

Then, they had moved her from the white room. She could see that now; the drugs of the last three days had left her confused and in pain. Now she was conscious, she could smell the blood on her body, the sickly smell of the medications they had pumped her full of.

She was in a cell; a grey concrete cell, like a jail cell from the movies. She was lying on a cot on one side of the cell, facing the bars on the cell wall that kept them as prisoners. Her head pounded and she couldn't sit up. Her vision blurred in and out. She closed her eyes to stop seeing her surroundings swimming before her.

"Are you okay?"

The voice was reassuringly familiar and husky. Jondy couldn't place it, nor could she sit up to see who was asking. Her lips were dry and cracked and she could only whimper in reply.

And then there was a cool, wet cloth on her face, wiping the sweat and blood away from her face. Jondy did nothing as the stranger cleaned up her face. And then he lifted a cup to her lips to let her drink.

And after a few moments, he helped her sit up. She felt his hands smooth her hair back from her face, and he tucked another pillow behind her back. For a moment, Jondy could almost pretend she was back at home with Tanner and Zane.

"_Are you okay?" Zane fussed around the bed, tucking a second pillow behind Jondy's back. The bedroom curtains were open, sunlight spilling into the room, giving everything a white-gold glow. Jondy was tucked into bed, wearing soft pink pyjamas and her hair in a ponytail. A glass of water sat on the night stand next to her, along with a bunch of daisies; brought by Micah the night before. _

_And curled in Jondy's arms was her daughter. A whole three days old, wrapped in blankets and a little white and blue outfit. Tanner slept against her mother, a little pink pacifier in her mouth._

"_I'm fine, Zane," Jondy smiled up at him. "She'll wake up soon, and I'll feed her. Then I'll put her in the bassinet and get some sleep myself. You'll come home from work for lunch and we can have it outside."_

_Zane nodded, leaning down to kiss Jondy gently. He didn't want to leave Jondy and Tanner. He knew Jondy was more than capable of looking after their daughter, but he didn't want to be apart from them ever. He wanted to watch Tanner sleep, and be fed, and sit with Jondy and plan their little girl's future._

"_Okay, if you promise you'll ring me if you need anything," Zane said, motioning to Jondy's cell phone on the night table._

"_I promise. I'll turn the ringer off if I take a nap, though," she said, adjusting Tanner in her arms. "Have a good day."_

Jondy opened her eyes again, and everything was clear and back to normal. And the guy was sitting on a stool next to her, holding a cup of water and the rag and looking rather concerned. But it wasn't what he was doing that shocked her.

"Zack," she breathed, staring at him wide eyed. "You're alive."

Zack shook his head. "I'm sorry Miss, but my name is Adam. Adam Thompson."

Jondy blinked. He was still Zack. The only un-Zack thing this guy was doing was smiling at her. Zack didn't smile. She vaguely remembered Zack mentioning something about drugs that convinced him Brin was Max when he'd returned to Manticore. They couldn't have used those on her… could they?

"Turn around," she asked softly. He gave her a funny look, but stood up and complied. And there was his barcode; the dark lines barely covered by his hair. Jondy bit her lip. It was Zack. This was X5-599. This was her brother.

"Zack, it's me. Jondy," she grabbed his hand. If she'd been able to feel her legs, she would have leapt to her feet and shaken sense into him. "X5-210. Jondy! Your sister!"

He still stared at her blankly. He genuinely did not recognize her. Not a glint of recognition in his eyes. Jondy pulled away, staring up at him. It was Zack, she was convinced. He had a black eye and a scratch on his left cheek that was still oozing blood that she hadn't noticed before.

"It's okay," Zack pats her shoulder gently. "You're probably disoriented. How long have you been here?" His tone is conversational; Zack had never spoken so calmly and pleasantly in his life. He might as well have been asking Jondy what her day had been like, how Tanner was.

"I don't know," Jondy whispered. Zack was here and he couldn't help her. He didn't know he could help her. She couldn't save them either; the drugs that had been pumped through her veins since she had been kidnapped had left her ill. Jondy wasn't sure if she could stand up and walk across the tiny cell, let alone plan an escape.

She looked up at Zack's cheerful face. Had he been drugged to? Was this another sick plot to find the others?

"_452, 599, 205, 701... Every escaped X5 was here. I believe 205's body was incinerated four hundred and sixty seven minutes ago, 210."_

Jondy blinked. She dimly recalled Ames White telling her that. She didn't know how long ago that had been, or if her mind was just offering her something; an idea to cling to.

"He's lying," Jondy breathed. And she'd known it the whole time. But it was her family - her… her Zane and her daughter. "He's lied about everything."

Zack gave Jondy a puzzle look and sat down on the cot next to her. "Who is lying?" he asked gently, like she was a little girl. It made her equally annoyed and comforted.

"Ames White. He told me everyone I loved was dead. But you're here," Jondy murmured, resting her head against his shoulder. "I know you don't recognise me but I think they've drugged you. They've done something to you, Zack."

He looked at the woman – girl – in his arms. Her wild and frightened blue eyes, with the dark circles under them, her pale and thin face that was littered with cuts and blue-purple bruises. The torn shirt and jeans she wore, soaked with blood in some places, the delicate veins in her wrists that seemed bright blue against the white and black bruising of her wrists. The rough, long cuts in her wrists where the drip needles had been ripped out without any grace – she was sick. She was terrified, sick and Adam – or Zack – felt protective of the unknown girl.

"They did give me a few shots," he admitted. "Don't remember much at all. But I am Adam Thompson."

Jondy swallowed and nodded. She couldn't alienate him now. She had her big brother back, and when they got out, Zane and Syl would fix him. They'd bring the old, moody Zack back to them.

If they got out.

---

Max sat on one of the couches in Terminal City's main hall, with a cup of lukewarm and milky coffee (powdered milk, but she couldn't complain), balancing her niece on her lap. Zane sat opposite her, patiently holding Tanner's bottle and his own cup of coffee.

It was one of those rare moments Max knew she'd reflect on in the future and smile at. There was no war, there was no White and for just a second, she had no worries. Yes, Jondy was missing and the world wanted to eradicate all the transgenics. But when she gazed down at Jondy and Zane's daughter, she felt peaceful.

Tanner's blue eyes blinked up at her aunt. She was dressed in pink again, complete with a pink pacifier that morning. Someone had managed to find and smuggle in a box of bagels that morning, and Tanner held a small chunk of one in her little hand, occasionally gnawing at it, and then grinning wildly at her aunt and father.

"She's beautiful, Zane," Max said for the one hundredth time, stroking Tanner's soft, fluffy hair. "Absolutely perfect."

"You sound like Jondy," Zane laughed. "And Syl. You should see the others around her. Krit's trying so hard to convince Syl babies are the devil, but you show him Tanner and he can hardly convince himself."

Max grinned. "I'd love to see him."

"Max."

Zane and Max turned around and just stared, with their mouths half open. Syl and Krit stood before them, a little worse for wear but grinning broadly.

"Where's Zack?" were Max's first words.

Before Syl or Krit could make sense of this question, Tanner spied her Auntie Syl and let out a squeal of pleasure and reached up for Syl.

"Hey baby girl," Syl focused on her niece, scooping Tanner up from Max's lap and balancing her on her hip. "You've gotten so big!" Syl beamed down at Tanner, and Max could only look on, seeing how naturally maternal Syl was. With her dark hair and blue eyes, Tanner could have almost passed as Krit and Syl's daughter.

Almost.

"We stopped by the address you gave us Max, and the Thompson's said he'd already left for Seattle with his brother," Krit shrugged. "We thought maybe you'd sent someone else to get him out of a danger zone."

Max froze.

"_Two X5s, stated their designations as X5-701 and X5-471. Said that they had located X5-599, that someone has been keeping tabs on him, and they would be in touch in a week."_

And she felt cold. Very cold.

"They got him," she whispered. "Alec took the call and he doesn't know either of you. How would he know if it was a Familiar or an X5?" She felt herself go pale as she leant back on the couch, closing her eyes.

Alec was beside her in a second, ignoring the squeaks of shock from Syl and Krit. He looked at Max's scared face and rested his hand against her shoulder.

"Max? Max, what's wrong?"

She opened her brown eyes and resisted the urge to throw herself into Alec's arms. Tears glistened in the corner.

"Ames White has Zack."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters:** Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** Chapter Eight, brought to you by Channel Ten's cancellation of The OC reruns. And the fact I couldn't go and see a late showing of Elektra... nevermind. Anyways, the plot thickens in this chapter and I can officially say there will be some M/A from this point onwards. Heh.

ChocRocks, I hope it wasn't too painful rereading all my stuff. Some of the older stuff needs a lot of reworking. Hehe. I'll have to update faster from now on. Angel of Darkness231, I will definitely try to include your X5 when the rest of the X5s turn up. Lakergirl08, Rose, Steph and Crazy-VampireSlayer, thank you so much for your lovely comments. It really makes my day. Lozz422, here's your update. Now, promise me you'll update Family Reunion soon? 

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture.

* * *

Max paced the room off Main Hall. She had been pacing for twenty two minutes; the room had nothing but two chairs and a wooden table pushed against one wall; the same wall had a window looking out at Main Hall. A map of Seattle was pinned to one wall, with Terminal City circled in red. This was the office where everything was planned and plotted out.

Twenty three minutes. Max's three siblings, her niece and her… Alec - whatever he was - were draped over the table and chairs, watching Max pace silently.

Twenty four minutes

Krit looked at Syl and rolled his eyes before jumping to his feet and grabbing Max's arm. "Maxie, we've been watching you pace for twenty four minutes. We need to think about this."

Syl snorted. "Since when have you been one to think about anything?"

Before Krit could retort, Max threw up her hands. "How could this have happened? We need to get Zack out. He doesn't remember anything about Manticore. He won't understand anything about Ames White or what White wants with him." Max bit her lip. "He could be dead. We need to get him out now. He can't get involved. I can't lose him again…"

Zane was on his feet before anyone else could say anything, and Tanner was stuffed into Syl's arms.

"So, Jondy's rescue has to wait while you get your affairs in order, but Zack's rescue suddenly gets top priority?" Zane demanded, his eyes flashing.

"Zane," Syl said quietly, adjusting Tanner to her hip. "We're going to find Jondy and we're gonna get her back."

"The amount of time its take Max to get ready to plan Jondy's rescue, she's going to be dead," Zane said bitterly.

"We're getting Zack and Jondy back, Zane, I promise," Max said. "I just…"

"You've got a guilt complex because you stuck Zack out in back ass Iowa playing Old Macdonald," Krit said to Max before turning back to Zane. "Cool it. Syl and I will help you bail Jondy out, if all else fails."

Zane nodded once, his face totally blank, watching Tanner. Tanner was gripping to Syl, watching Zane carefully.

"I miss her," Zane said, mostly to himself. "It's not right being here with Tanner, and not knowing where she is, and what she's doing, and how she's feeling. And if she's still in San Francisco, and I'm here, she's not going to know."

Syl gazed at her older brother with compassion. "She'll know you've taken Tanner somewhere safe. And that's what matters to her. She'll understand." Syl touched Zane's cheek. "She will."

"And if she's dead?" Zane said softly. "I've gotta raise my daughter alone, and one day explain to her I don't know who killed her or how she died, but she has to live knowing that her mother was murdered and I did shit all to save her."

"Don't talk like that. You did what anyone would've done. You got your daughter – her daughter – to safety and found back up," Krit said, shaking his head. "And Jondy's tough. She'll hang in there – She is your girlfriend after all."

Syl punched Krit in the arm. "Shut up, moron. Zane, Krit does have a point. Remember back at Manticore, when they tried to see who could tolerate pain the longest? Jondy was the third last one to quit…"

"…the only two who did better were Zack and Eva," Max joined in, her voice soft and soothing.

"And," Syl continued, not even acknowledging Max had spoken. "She moved to Chicago with you, and helped run the refuges while she was pregnant... she survived three days with Micah before she even had Tanner… everyone else would have gone to the hospital to escape him…"

Zane nodded his eyes still sad. "I know. I know she's strong. But I don't know what she's up against."

"It's definitely White," Alec spoke up. "One of the X6s who came in a few days ago mentioned that White was dragging transgenics off the street and keeping them in some prison place. His partner was taken. If it wasn't White, then…"

"We're back to square one," Max said. "Alec, I want full reports of all military convoys over the past three weeks. I want to know White's exact location. Syl, Krit, will you take care of weapons for everyone?"

"No, I'll go with Krit," Zane spoke up. "Syl, you mind watching Tanner for me? I just need to clear my head."

Syl nodded, smiling at Tanner and smoothing down her dark curls. "Of course I can."

Zane gave her a tired smile. "Great. Max will show you where Tanner and I are staying. She'll need a bottle and a nap soon. She's back to sleeping with a pacifier, too."

Syl nodded. "Gotcha."

Alec watched Max walk away, leading Syl back into Main Hall, and off to where the apartments were. Krit followed Alec's gaze and grinned as Tanner called out something to them, in her baby language.

"You and Maxie, huh?" Krit grinned, turning around to see Zane studying the map of Seattle. "Better you than that trust fund guy."

"Logan?" Alec offered.

"Yeah, that guy. He had no idea about her or where she came from," Krit looked at his feet before meeting Alec's eyes. "Maxie needs someone who knows where she came from and what she went through. She might have enjoyed seeing the high life, but when it all comes down to it, she needs someone who knows her."

"You love her," Alec observed, looking into Krit's eyes, so similar to Max's.

"No, I love Syl like you love Max. I love Max like the baby sister who used to get us all into trouble after lights out. But a Manticore woman is a Manticore woman," Krit shrugged. "Sway, Tinga, Brin, Syl, Max… I know my sisters."

Alec shook his head. "Nah, Max and I… we're not like that."

"Bullshit." Zane looked up from the corner. "She likes you too."

"Not as much as she likes Logan," Alec rolled his eyes. "_And_ he's banging Asha. Max is seriously in denial about that."

"If it makes you feel better," Zane said, focusing on the map of Seattle, circling the warehouses and storage areas on the outskirts of Seattle, "she questioning her feelings for Logan because of her feelings for you."

Alec and Krit looked over at Zane.

"Really?" Krit said incredulously.

"Really?" Alec said, looking doubtful.

"Really," Zane said, looking up. "We were talking about it the other night. She wants to know if you're a worthwhile risk."

The grin that spread across Alec's face was equal parts blinding and dopey. "_Really?_"

"Really."

"Man, I'm glad they don't pay you two by the word," Krit said. "Zane, we need to do the weapons thing. Alec, you need to do all that stuff Max said."

"Yeah, yeah," Alec said dismissively. "I gotta go." He hurried away from Max's two brothers, in search of the woman who had been on his mind for the last year. He hadn't been ready to admit he had feelings for Max until now, but she was the one who named him, who got him out of Max, who gave him an identity.

And he was in love with her.

"No booty calls before lunch!" Krit called after him, with a smirk on his face. Zane rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "What?"

"You're telling me you and Syl don't… before lunch?"

"You're telling me you and Jondy do?" Krit grinned. "You think I can case Logan's joint now?"

Zane shook his head. "Whatever. Go and play with some guns. Maybe accidentally shoot yourself."

"You don't mean that, big brother."

"Go and be a pain in the ass elsewhere, Krit."

---

Jondy woke up to see Zack – Adam – pacing the small cell. The blankets in his cot were rumpled, she noted, so he had slept a little. She didn't make any sound as she watched him pace – the cell was only four really good steps across. In any other circumstances, Jondy would have thought Zack looked silly, pacing in such a small space.

Zack – _Adam,_ she had to remember that, at least until Adam remembered he was Zack – looked tired and worried as he watched the hallway beyond the bars of the cell.

"You know, you shouldn't waste your energy," Jondy spoke up, sitting up. Her head felt a little clearer today, but she still felt horrible. Her voice was scratchy and weak, and she had a catalogue of injuries that would probably warrant a visit to the Emergency Room when she got out.

_If she got out._

Adam looked around at her, and gave her a tired smile. "You're awake."

"Awake and back with the living," Jondy said, standing up slowly, running her fingers through her hair. "Sit down. If the opportunity arises to escape, and you're worn out because you've been pacing, you'll kick yourself."

Adam chuckled, sitting down on the edge of his cot. "I guess that makes sense."

"Old military lesson," Jondy replied, sitting next to him.

"You were in the miliary?" Adam gave her a sideways look.

"You think I was dragged in here because I dropped out of high school?" Jondy rolled her eyes. "I guess you could say I went to a military school until I was nine."

"You were really young," Adam gave her a sideways. Her tangled dark hair around her face, her thin face and the bruises little all her exposed skin, he had presumed she was a drug dealer or a hooker or something. But listening to her talk, she had a soothing quality about her. In the back of his mind, something told him he was glad she was here. Like he knew her or something…

"You have a family out there?" Adam asked her.

"A boyfriend and a daughter," Jondy said softly, closing her eyes for a second. "A baby girl. She's almost eight months old now." The look on her face was close to what Adam would call grief. He rested a hand on her shoulder, which Jondy took as an invitation to lean her head against his shoulder.

"I'm scared for her," she whispered. "Ames White… he told me he'd kill her… I have to believe she's still alive… I do believe she's safe with her father, but… what if she's not? What if Zane and Tanner are dead and I couldn't even save them?"

Adam slid an arm around Jondy's shoulders. "I lost my memory awhile back," he said softly. "I don't remember anything at all. And you know, I work with these real nice people and live with Buddy and Mary. They said I'd worked for them my whole life; and lived with them since I was a kid. Told me I had no brothers or sisters or family, I was an only child."

"And?" Jondy said, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Well, the only thing I remember is a girl with blonde hair," Adam shrugged. "She had blonde hair and she was afraid of dogs and she called me 'brother'. I don't know; I guess my memory is either whacked or I have a sister out there, and I don't know where she is or if she's scared or alone or what. And she could be my only family. And if anything happens to her and I didn't know about her…"

"When we get out," Jondy smiled sadly, "I'll find your family for you. You know the girl's name?"

"It began with S… maybe Sara? Sal?" Adam looked blank for a second. "Not Sal… Syl. I think her name was Syl."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Title:** M.I.A

**Author:** Lexie Jayne

**Rating:** PG

**Characters: **Jondy/Zane; Max/Alec; Syl/Krit; Logan, Zack.

**Summary:** Jondy vanishes, risking the lives of her loved ones, Max is faced with a new future and Terminal City faces it's biggest challenge yet the return of old enemies and allies. WIP. JZ, SK, MA

**Feedback:** Would be lovely if you feel inclined.

**Notes:** I think between writing, website commitments and icon-ing, I stretch my time too thin :sigh: Maybe that's why my updating is slack. But I have updated, one of the longest chapters of the story.

**Warnings:** Language

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to James Cameron. I make no profit from this fan based venture. I only own Tanner, Micah, Sway and the character of Tawny. The name of Tawny is borrowed from the ever excellent Kara. Everyone else belongs to James Cameron.

* * *

_Jondy sat opposite Tawny and Micah in the booth, shredding napkins. Syl was running late, having had to pay some bill for the refuge; and Jondy knew from experience that it took ages to pay bills. Jondy looked at her watch again and picked up another napkin._

"_Jon, what the hell is up with you?" Tawny took the napkins out of her hand. "You've killed a small herd of trees in the space of seventeen minutes."_

"_It's not a herd of trees, moron, it's a misery of trees," Micah looked up from the giant greasy menu. _

"_It's a forest of trees and a misery of ravens, dumb ass... I'll tell you when Syl gets here," Jondy sighed. "I'm not sure I should even tell you."_

"_Why not?" Tawny looked offended. "I can keep a secret."_

"_It's sensitive," Jondy said. "Just wait for Syl; I need a woman's input."_

"_Can we order?" Micah said, tossing his menu aside. "I am starving."_

"_Go for it," Jondy flicked her eyes down her menu. "I'm not hungry."_

"_You sure?" Tawny frowned. "Micah, grab me something?"_

"_Get it yourself; I haven't got enough money to feed both of us," Micah looked affronted and Tawny shot him an unreadable look. "Burger okay, big brother?"_

_Tawny turned to Jondy. "Tell me what's wrong, sis."_

"_Zane doesn't know yet…"_

White looked up as the guards hurled X5-210 back into the room. A trail of blood dribbled from her hairline, down her face. There were burns across her face and shoulders and she didn't seem like she was able to walk. Her hair fell across her face as she tried to look up at him. This scenario was beginning to feel monotonous.

"X5-210, I just want to know where my son is. My son for your daughter. It's very simple," White said as the guards shoved 210 into a chair and handcuffed her hands behind the chair. She slumped backwards.

"This is getting boring," she said, followed by a coughing fit. "I've told you, I don't know where your kid is. I haven't spoken to Max since I was nine."

White knelt before Jondy. "210, I just want to reassure you something." He took her face in his hands. "It doesn't matter what you say to me. You are transgenic trash. You are going to die, and die painfully, the second I say the word. You can either save the life of your child by giving me back my son, or your daughter can join you." White straightened up. "As a parent myself, I think the answer is obvious. But then, you are a transgenic."

Jondy swallowed and met his eyes. "You think you're the upstanding citizen in this situation?"

White laughed. "Without question, 210. I will destroy every trace of you and your kind from this world for me and mine."

"I'm pretty sure that's what Hitler said about the Jews. And he's not in the history books as being one of the good guys," Jondy said. Before she could react, White span around and his fist met her face, and everything went black.

White rolled his eyes and grabbed Jondy's chin in his hands, her face white. The red mark on her cheek where he'd hit her was already darkening as he watched her. She was nowhere near as strong as when his operatives had brought her in, but she was far from giving in.

"Bring in X5-599 and return X5-210 to the cell," White said grimly. "Keep her sedated for the next 1200 hours."

As the guards dragged Jondy from the room, her body a dead weight, Jondy felt everything. She felt White's fist hitting her face, him manhandling her face and the swelling of her left cheek and the guards roughly dragging her harshly from the room. And she certainly felt them strap her to a gurney, her wrists held to the mattress with Velcro rubbing the soft, bruised flesh of her wrists raw – her ankles too.

And she felt the cold metal of the syringe slide deeply into the veins in her neck. And her cheek palpated with pain as it swelled, red and black and blue.

---

Syl had tucked Tanner into a baby car carrier that Gem had found and happily handed over for Zane to use whilst Tanner was in Terminal City. Tanner had cried a little, kicking her thin blue blanket onto the floor. It had taken half a bottle, her pacifier and half an hour of rocking to get her to sleep. And even then, Syl left her in front of the window to keep her cool, and so her and Max talking wouldn't disturb her.

Max pulled the small laptop onto her lap. "Can I borrow your cell phone so I can connect?" Max asked, tapping wildly at the keys. "Alec broke mine." She smiled a little at the memory of the incident – it almost seemed funny now, except it would cost upwards of twelve hundred to replace that phone. That was the only non-funny part of the whole thing.

"Ah, Alec," Syl grinned, digging her phone out of pocket and tossed it towards Max. "I'm sure."

"I threw it at him," Max clipped the cell phone to the side of the laptop and dialled in. "It hit the wall. I wouldn't have thrown it at him if he hadn't pissed me off."

"Whatever you think, Maxie," Syl grinned. "What are you looking up?"

"Hospital records for any women fitting Jondy's description," Max said, "And any men fitting Zack's description." Her fingers flew across the keys. "How tall was Jondy?"

Syl frowned, all mirth leaving her expression. "Jondy _is_ about one hundred and seventy five centimetres, Maxie. Weighs about one fifty, I guess. Brown hair, blue eyes, tattoo of a star on her back…" Syl trailed off, looking towards Tanner as the little girl slept. "I would give anything to trade places with Jondy at this moment, Max. She didn't deserve this. She deserves to be at home with her baby girl and her boyfriend."

"And for some reason, you deserve to be wherever Jondy is?" Max shook her head. "That's stupid, Syl."

Syl rolled her eyes. "_None_ of us deserve it. But Jondy worked so hard at the refuge and Tanner and at her relationship with Zane and then she goes missing and we're all thinking that she's dead…" Syl closed her eyes and rested her hand on her forehead. "And if she's dead, it'll kill Zane and I'm not ready to become the sole guardian of my seven month old niece!" Syl flopped onto Zane's bed.

Max balanced the laptop on her chair and lay next to Syl. "You aren't going to become a step-mom for my niece," Max said quietly. "Did you hear about Tinga?"

Syl closed her eyes. "I know she died, Max. I was there, remember?"

Max felt vaguely guilty bringing their older sister up, remembering how close Syl had been to Tinga, how Syl had turned to Tinga after Eva's death, and how Syl had lost Tinga. And then Syl had turned to Jondy…

"I promised Case I would bring Tinga back for him. I swore I would get my sister back to her son," Max said quietly. "And I got there, and she was dead, her face was all white and all these red and blue veins were all over her face and body and…" Max buried her face into Syl's shoulder.

"And Case grows up with his normal, every day father and he'll never know everything about his mother - that he has to be careful. And I can't … he has to stay with Charlie. He has to stay with his father because there is no one else for him to go to, and I cannot take my nephew away from my brother in law. I can't and that'll be the reason why Case dies."

Syl ignored the tears on her face. "It's not exactly a situation anyone wants, Maxie. There's no right or wrong answer. I can't tell you what Tinga would have wanted – how do you chose whether your baby grows up with his father for a short time, or if you send him into the care of complete strangers on the chance that he might survive this war. He might be fine with Charlie, or he might not. He might die if we find another place for him, or he might life a long life. I don't think Tinga would know the right choice either."

Syl and Max leant against each other in silence. Before either sister could say another, a baby sob caught their attention, followed by a beep made by the computer.

Syl sat up, running her hands through her hair and moved towards Tanner, scooping her niece into her arms. "Hey baby girl, what's the problem?" Syl kissed the baby's round little cheek, wiping the tears off her face. "You want the rest of your bottle?"

Max smiled as Syl held Tanner close and cooed at her, before turning back to the computer. Sixty four results for women and thirty nine for men. Max sighed and began reading; many of the men were too old to be Zack, but generally most of the results just _weren't _her siblings.

And then the apartment door flew open, startling all three girls in the room. Tanner let out an annoyed squawk at the intruder and returned to her bottle, her head against Syl's shoulder.

Max looked up to see who the intruder was and rolled her eyes. "Did you get the military convoy reports?"

Alec shook his head, his expression serious for once. "Not yet. Look, Max, I need to talk to you. Alone, for a minute."

Max frowned and disconnected the laptop. "I'll be a second, Syl," Max said unnecessarily, and followed Alec from the apartment, not noticing the knowing smirk on Syl's face.

Alec felt like he had willingly walked into a munitions drill completely naked; vulnerable, scared and at risk of horrendous pain - both physical and emotional. And he took her hand and dragged her away from the stairs. Max's face revealed nothing, as he looked down at her, except her extreme irritation at having her search for Zack and Jondy interrupted.

"Max," Alec began, staring into the deep brown eyes that had been dogging him for weeks. "I… I've been thinking. You've done a lot for me since we met. I mean, you named me and got me out of Manticore. You were the reason I got a job at Jam Pony and helped out the transgenics and generally… did something good."

Max watched Alec babble at her, her temper simmering. She was in the middle of looking for her siblings and not only had he interrupted her search, he had ignored her orders!

"And some days I think maybe all the stuff you've made do have kinda made up for all the shit Manticore made me do," Alec stumbled. "And you were my first friend. And now, Maxie, I think that I'm in lov…"

"MAX!" Zane came sprinting up the stairs. "Max, Mole and Joshua just caught a trespasser."

Max looked away from Alec, who was mentally cursing Zane, and made a face. "We're always getting someone trying to break in here, Zane," Max shrugged. "Mole knows what to do."

Zane shook his head. "No. It's not a reporter with a death wish. It's bigger."

"Who?" Alec snapped, willing Zane to go away so he could throw Max against a wall…

"Donald Lydecker is bound and gagged in your office, Max."

* * *


End file.
